Editing Process for Manuscripts and Editors

1.The submission is sent by the President to
the correct Imprint Editor (IE), who scans to be sure submission is submitted according
to guidelines. If not, the IE emails the author advising him/her to follow the
guidelines as presented on the website: http://4rvpublishing.com.

2.First step is the evaluation of the
submission.

A. The
Imprint Editor (IE) assigns the
manuscript anonymously (all author identification removed from cover letter,
synopsis, and manuscript) to an Acquisition Editor (AE). The IE should include
the anonymous submission attachments with the email sent to the AE to request
his/her agreement to evaluate. Always include the title of the work in the
email subject line. IF a full manuscript is submitted, the full manuscript is
sent to the AE. IF a full manuscript is requested, then the full manuscript
will be sent for the rest of the evaluation. The AE should not know who the author is, and the author should not know who evaluated his/her manuscript.

B.
The Acquisition Editor (AE) evaluates
the manuscript and must be familiar with the 4RV Style found on the website so
he/she can be sure the submission meets those standards. The AE should give general
positive points and needs for improvement and recommend if it’s good enough for
the company to devote time and effort to offer a contract or not. We need to
know the plot, characters, and writing are interesting enough to hold readers’
interest. The AE will give one of the following recommendations with his/her
evaluation, which is emailed to the IE (subject line will read "title of book - evaluation results):

1). Rejected: If it is rejected at this stage, an email
to the author will be sent by the IE with the evaluation of the AE (name of AE
is never shared with the Author).

2).
Need full manuscript: If only first chapters are sent of a longer manuscript,
the IE will email the author with a request he/she send the full manuscript IF
the sample chapters show possible acceptance. Included should be the AE’s
evaluation. Once a full submission is received, the LE will return it to the AE
for the rest of the evaluation. The AE will then give one of three recommendations:
rejected, need revisions and resubmission, or accepted for a contract be offered.

3). Need revisions and resubmission: If this decision is
reached, the IE will email the author the evaluation and requesting the author
revise and resubmit the full manuscript. Once the full manuscript is revised and
resent, the LE will ask the AE to re-evaluate for a recommendation of reject or accept.

4). Accepted: This can be decided only after a full manuscript has been evaluated.After an AE gives this recommendation, the IE reads over
the cover letter, synopsis, and the manuscript to see if the writing meets the
standards and content accepted by 4RV. IF it does, then the IE emails the
President with the recommendation. Please attach the original full or final
manuscript if revised and resubmitted, the cover letter, and the synopsis. If the recommendation doesn’t meet the 4RV needs, then the IE will contact the AE and ask why the recommendation to accept
was given.

We want only quality manuscripts that won’t take major
editing, that are good writing, and have the type of content we want. Authors
should have had the manuscript thoroughly edited by others before submitting.

NOTE: All emails will have a Cc to President and to VP
of Operations AND all should have the title of the manuscript in the subject
line.

3. The President will prepare
and send a contract to the author, if the IE sends a acceptance evaluation. The
IE will in the Cc loop. (IE needs to have a Book Status form for each
manuscript.)

4. After a contract is
offered and accepted, the IE will assign the project to a Lead Editor (LE), who
will supervise the editing process. The IE may also decide to be the LE for any
project.The IE will supervise the editing process.

5. The LE will cover the
following areas (plus any others that might add or distract from the plot, characters,
etc.)

a. Make notes about material in the manuscript, which
must enhance the story, plot, characters, setting. Give suggestions if needed.This
includes making sure passive voice and state of being verbs are seldom used,
that active voice and action verbs are. Show don’t
tell must be the norm.

b. A hook at the beginning is a must.

c. What concepts need to be tweaked?

d. Note what is wrong and give suggestions for
improvement concerning mechanics (grammar, sentence structure, etc.), details, 8 Cs of Writing as found on website. point of view, and other problems.

NOTE: Authors
are to use suggestions to make improvements throughout the manuscript.Editors may not mark every instance
correction is needed or make all corrections once noting the problem once or
twice.

6. Lead editor and author
will send emailed edits and revisions back and forth, with a Cc to President,
VP, and IE. Subject line should indicate which edit or revision the email
covers, and always should have the title of the book, ALWAYS. Edited
manuscripts and revisions should be sent as email attachments. Most editors use
track changes and comments on the manuscript to help the author know exactly
where problems may be. Authors should send revisions as a clean copy with no track
marks or comments left on the manuscript.

7.Process of edits and revisions continue until
manuscript is ready. After the LE and author are finished and have the
manuscript as close to perfect as possible, the LE sends a clean copy attachment
to the IE with the following info in the subject line of the email, “(title of
book) clean copy for Imprint Editor.”

8. If IE finds problems,
she/he will send her/his suggestions back to LE and author to revise and resend
a clean copy once revised.

9. IE sends clean manuscript to proofreader (proofreader@4rvpublishingllc.com). If problems are found by proofreader, IE and author need to revise before manuscript goes further.

10. Before the manuscript is
sent to book designer, it must be approved by the IE after revisions after proofreader sends edits. After all revisions are finished and IE approves, the IE sends a clean copy to the art director.

11. The manuscript then goes
to the layout designer for design and formatting. The Art Director will notify Imprint Editors
when a cover is ready, when an illustrator is assigned and whom, and if/who the
designer/formatter is. Note: The IE emails the clean copy ready for formatting
to Art Director with the following wording in the subject line, “(book title) clean
copy ready for formatting:Attn: Aidana.”

12. Once a proof is ready,
the designer will send the PDF proof to the author, LE, and IE, as well as the
President and the illustrator (if an illustrated book). Each person will search
for errors or problems – this is not the time for a rewrite. Proof will be
resent after each set of revisions until the author and IE approve.

13. After final approval by
author and Imprint Editor (IE), the book is ready to print. At this point the IE must send a copy of the Book Status form to the President as an email attachment.

If needed, steps may be
revised or added.

NOTE: The IE
will supervise the whole process during editing and after, meaning he/she will
keep track of which part of the process the manuscript reaches after editing is
complete. She/he can then respond when an author emails a request to know where
in the process his/her book is.NOTE: Time
frames for steps should be within a reasonable limit. It’s up to the author to
get revisions back promptly and as required.

NOTE: All
emails between editors and authors will have a Cc to Vivian and Aidana.